Hunting game.



O. J. SCHUSTER.

. HUNTING GAME. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 3, 1912.

I Patented Apr. 16, 1912. l7y.l

EHHH? CARL J. SCI-IUSTER, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

HUNTING GAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

Application filed January 3, 1912. Serial No. 669,214.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL J. SOHUSTER, a

citizen of the United States, residing at new and useful Improvements in Hunting Games, of which the following is a specification.

The present invent-ion relates in general to games, and more particularly to that type of games which include a board havlng members thereon adapted to be knocked down by a projectile.

The object of the invention is to provide a game of this character which involves novel features of construction whereby the elements of chance ordinarily encountered in hunting are introduced into the game, the objectof the player being to knock over as much game as possible and to avoid stumps and knocking over or injuring the dogs or hunter for which he would be penalized.

A further object of the invention is to provide a game of this character which is comparatively simple and inexpensive in its construction, which requires a certain amount of skill and judgment in playing, and which will furnish amusement and entertainment for a number of players.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the novel features thereof being pointed out in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hunting game constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged top plan view of a portion of the board, showing one of the game members or rabbits. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view through a portion of the board on the line 33 of Fig. 2, showing one of the game members or rabbits in a raised position, and Fig. 4: is a detail View of a gun by means of which a ball or other small projectile may be fired over the board.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Specifically describing the present embodiment of the invention, the numeral 1 desi nates a board which may be of any suitable size and shape, and is surrounded by an upwardly projecting peripheral wall or flange 2, the said wall being merely of such a height as to retain the projectile upon the board. The board is preferably supported in an elevated position by means of feet or legs 3, the said feet being provided with rubber tips 4 which prevent the board from marring or injuring any piece of furniture upon which it may be placed.

A gun 5 is arranged at one end of the board and serves as a means for projecting a ball 6 or like member over the board, the said gun being adjustably mounted so that it can be aimed by the player. A series of stumps 7 are scattered over the board and project upwardly therefrom, the said stumps being rigid with the board so as to stop or deflect the ball-6 should it strike against the same. A series of game figures or hinged elements 8 which may bear the picture of some game animal such as a rabbit, as shown, are also scattered over the board and normally project upwardly therefrom. These game fi res 8, however, have the lower ends thereof hinged to the board, as indicated at 9, and are mounted to fall rearwardly into depressions 10 when struck by the ball. The depressions 10 have a shape corresponding to the game elements 8 and a depth equal to the thickness of the game elements so that when one of the game elements has been knocked rearwardly, the surface of the board is flush at that point. This prevents the game which has fallen or been bagged from interfering with the shooting of the balls or projectiles at the game figures which may be still standing. Toward the far end of the board 1 a series of larger game figures or hinged elements 11 is provided, the said larger game figures being mounted in identically the same manner as the previously described game figures 8. These larger hinged elements 11 may, as in the present instance, bear the pictures of jack rabbits.

The various figures and stumps are so arranged upon the board that the stumps do not prevent a ball projected from the gun from striking one of the game figures, although if the ball is not accurately aimed it will strike one of the stumps and be defiected from its course, thereby preventing the player from getting the game at which the gun was aimed. A series of figures 12 or hinged elements corresponding to dogs are mounted upon the board, as well as a figure or hinged element 13 corresponding to a hunter. These figures or elements 12 and 13 are all hingedly mounted the same as the hinged elements 8, and the hunter is arranged directly behind one of the stumps, while the dogs 12 are arranged in the open. It is thus impossible to knock over the hunter, except in the case of an accident where the ball is deflected from its course after being projected from the gun.

In playing the game, the gun is carefully aimed and discharged by the various players, each of whom tries to knock over or bag as much game as possible, and to avoid injuring or knocking over either a dog or the hunter. The larger game pieces or hinged elements 11 would count more than the small game pieces 8, and in a similar manner the penalty for knocking over the hunter would be much greater than the penalty for knocking over one of the dogs.

Any suitable form of gun may be employed for projecting the balls 6. As shown upon the drawing, this gun is provided with a plunger 14 connected to a rod 15 which passes rearwardly through the gun and is provided with a finger piece 16, a spring 17 being interposed between the rear end of the gun and the plunger for forcing the plunger forwardly to discharge the ball when it is released by the trigger mechanism. The gun 5 is provided with a downwardly projecting ear 18 which is pivotally connected by a pivot pin 19 to a standard 20 projecting upwardly from a disk 22 which is revolubly fitted in the board 1, the said disk being formed with flanges 23 which engage the top and bottom of the board 1 to hold the disk in position, although the disk can be freely r0- tated for the purpose of aiming the gun. In a similar manner, the gun can have a very slight up and down movement upon the pivot 19. When the plunger 14 is drawn rearwardly to compress the spring 17, it is engaged by a catch 24 at one end of a lever 25 which is pivoted between its ends at 26. The'trigger 27 passes through an opening 29 in the disk 22 and is pivoted upon the pin 19, the upper endof the trigger being formed with an arm 30 which engages the lever 25. After the gun has been aimed, the player pulls the trigger 27 which projects downwardly under the board and thereby releases the plunger 14 and causes the ball 6 to be projected over the board.

' When starting a new game, it is merely necessary to tilt the far end of the board L upwardly in order to reset all of the hinged figures and throw them into an upright position. If desired, a winged screw or similar member 31 may be applied to one side of the gun, the said wing screw constituting render it more diflicult to hit than the other game figures. In order to strike this game figure it would usually be necessary to make use of the elevation action of the gun, and the bagging of this figure would of course count more than the other game figures which are exposed.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A hunting game including a board, an adjustably mounted gun at one end of the board for firing a projectile over the board, a series of rigidly mounted stumps projecting upwardly from the board, a series of game figures hinged to the board and norwardly therefrom, and a series of game figures also hinged to the board and projecting upwardly therefrom, the hunter and game figures being adapted to be knocked down by the projectile, and the hunter being arranged behind one of the stumps while the game figures are openly exposed to the projectile.

3. A hunting game including a board, a gun mounted upon the board for firing a projectile over the surface thereof, a series of rigid stump members projecting upwardly from the board, a series of small game members hinged to the board and proecting upwardly therefrom, and a series of large game members hinged to the board and projecting upwardly therefrom, both the small game members and the large game members being adapted to be knocked over by the projectile and being openly exposed to'the same.

4. A hunting game including a board, an adjustably mounted gun upon the board for firing a projectile over the surface of the board, a series of rigid stump members projecting from the board, a series of small game figures hinged to the board and projecting upwardly therefrom, a series of large game figures hinged to the board and projecting upwardly therefrom, a series of dogs hinged to the board and projecting upwardly therefrom, 'and a hunter hinged to the board and projecting upwardly therefrom, all of the said hinged figures being adapted to be knocked over by the projectile, and the small game figures, large game figures and the dogs being entirely exposed to the projectile, while the hunter is arranged entirely behind one of the stumps.

5. A hunting game including a board, a gun mounted upon the board for firing a projectile over the surface thereof, a series of fixed members projecting upwardly from the board, and a series of movable figures hinged to the board and normally projecting Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

upwardly therefrom, the said board being provided with pockets corresponding in shape and size to the movable figures and adapted to receive the same when they are knocked down by the projectile, thereby leaving the board with a smooth surface after the movable figures have been knocked over.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

CARL J. SCHUSTER.

Washington, D. C. 

